La crème de la crème

By Ari LeVaux

Because it was Bastille Day, a guest wandered into the kitchen and serenaded the cooks with "La Marseillaise," the national anthem of France. Outside the insulated walls of Café Jean Pierre, the sun beat down on a maze of interconnected parking lots and the Century Rio megaplex. But inside, it was Paris.

It is gazpacho season. Don't know if you've ever noticed, but very few recipes as simple as "buy vegetables, blend and chill" inspire such strong preferences as this iconic cold soup. (We give props to the oil-laden, paprika-orange smoothie variety over the chunky salsa in a bowl style, but hey, that's just us.)

When I lived in Chicago and biked around all winter, I learned firsthand how much a stiff drink can warm the cockles of your heart even on the coldest day. A shot of whiskey brings color to the cheeks, calms the chattering teeth and makes the ride back home through the slushy streets seem a little less daunting. Though winter in Albuquerque is a lot less traumatic, there are still moments when we need a warming draught to get ourselves through. Here are a few places we turn to for that tonic on a cold night.